System of control



Sept. 4, 1928.

E. FALCKE ET AL SYSTEM OF CONTROL Filed May 17, 1923 Inventors I Emil Falcke, Kurt Lehmann, by M Their Attorney.

Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,683,175 PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL FALCKE AND KURT LEHNIANN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SYSTEM OF CONTROL.

Application filed May 17, 1923, Serial No. 639,605, and in Germany May 31, 1 922 I Our invention relates to systems of control and especially to pneumatically operated means for controlling the swltching operations in a system of control for electric motors.

each step or position of the controller, and

it is diflicult to insure that the piston-shall move only the predetermined distance slnce, owing to the inertia of the moving parts,

there is a decided tendency to over-travel,

In order to prevent over-travel various devices have been utilized, among which may be mentioned means for admitting operating fluid under pressure to the trailing cylinder near the end of each piston movement, and means for controlling the rate at which the operating fluid is permitted to escape from the trailing cylinder. While such means are effective in securing apositive and definite stopping of the switch controlling mechanism, they are not entirely satls-factory because they tend to reduce the operating speed. I

In order to prevent injurious arclng 1t is desirable that the switch contacts be separated at a comparatively high rate of speed and it therefore becomes important to pro-' vide means ,arranged both to secure a positive stop in any desired switching position and to permit rapid movement between the different positions. In accordance with our invent-ion the trailing piston is arranged to move freely thereby permitting rapid movement of the switching mechanism, and neumatically operated means are utilize for operating a pawl by which the mechanism is locked in a position determined by the position of the main controller.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved means by which electric motors ma be started, stopped and generally controiled in a simple, reliable and eflicient manner.

A further object is to provide means by which rapid movement of the switch contacts may be effected and by which the switch operating mechanism may be positively and defin tely stopped in any predetermined position. A further object is to provide pneumatically controlled means for stopping the operating mechanism in any desired position.

Our invention will be better understoodfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out inthe appended claims. p

Referring now to the drawing, the single figure shows a switch operating engine in which our invention has been embodied, to gether with an electric system through which the engine may be controlled to perform certain predetermined switching o erations. As illustrated in the drawing t e switch operating engine has a piston rod 1 made in the formof a rack and arranged to cooperate with a plIllOIl 2 mounted upon the cam shaft 3 upon which is also mounted the. starwheel 4. Mounted upon the cam shaft 3 are the cams (not shown) which determine the sequence in which the various switches are closed and opened. Since switches of thls type are well known to those skilled in the art neither the switches nor the cams by whlch they are operated have been shown. Arranged to cooperate with the pistons 5 and 6 are the cylinders 7 and 8 provided with magnetically controlled valves 9 and 10 respectively. The valve 9, in its up er position, is arranged to admit operating fluid under pressure to the cylinder7 from a suitable source of supply through the opening 11 and in its lower position is arranged to permit the discharge of operating fluid through the orifice 12. The valve 10 is likewise arranged to allow the supply of operating fluid to the cylinder 8 through the opening 13 and to permit its'egress through the discharge orifice 14. For the positively stopping the cam slia t 3 in any predetermined position a pawl 15 pivoted at 16 and arranged to cooperate with the star-wheel 4 is provided. The pawl 15 is pneumatically controlled throu ha rod 17 attached to a piston '18 arange to reciprocate in a cylinder 19. For the purpose of controlling movement of the pawl 15 there is provided a magnetically controlled valve purpose of 20 constructed to admit operatingfluid under pressure to the cylinder 19 in its lower -to those skilled in the art.

position when its operating coil is deenergized and to permit the discharge of operating fluid from the cylinder 19 in its upper position when said coil is energized.

For the purpose of controlling the movement of the cam shaft 3 through which the Various switching movements are efiected by the cams mounted on it there is provided, a main controller 21, a reverser controller 22, a trailing controller 23 and a pawl controller 24. The main controller 21 is provided with a contact cylinder 25 the segments of which in the various controller positions are arranged to-cooperate with the contact fingers 26 to inclusive. The reverser controller 22 is provided with c011- tact fingers 36, 3'7 and 38 arranged to cooperate with the segments 39 and 40 for the purpose of changing .the connection of a reverser which may be utilized to control the motor fields in a manner well known The rererser controller 22 is also provided with contact fingers 41 to 44 inclusive arranged to cooperate with the segments 45. to 48 for the purpose of opening the main controller connections when the connections to the reverscr are altered. The trailing controller is provided with contact fingers 49, 50 and 51 arranged to cooperate with the segments 52 and 53 for the purpose of adapting the main controller for operation from either end of the engine shown in Fig. 1. The pawl controller 24 is provided with a cyl indcr 54 arranged to cooperate with contact fingers 29 to 34', which are interconnectcd with the contacts 29 to 34, respectively, through the agency of the control cable illustrated as the cam shaft 3 is moved through its various positions, A battery 58 is provided for energizing the operating coils 55 and 56 of the valves 9 and 10 re spectively as may be desired and for supplying current to the operating coil 57 of the valve 20 in accordance with the position of the main controller.

Assuming the various controllers to be in the positions indicated in the drawing, movement of the main controller to the position I closes a circuit to the reverser, energizes the operating coil 55 of the valve 9 and energizes the operating coil 57 of the valve 20. In this position of the main controller a circuit is established "from the plus side of the battery 58 to the reverser through contact 27, a segment of the main controller drum, contacts 26 and 38 segment 40 of the reverser controller and contact 36. At the same time a circuit is established from the plus side of the battery 58 to the operating coil 55 of valve 9 through contact 50, segment 52 of the trailing controller, contacts 49 and 41, segment 45 of the reverser controller, contacts 42 and 28, a segment of the main controller drum, and contact 29. The

coil 55 is thus energized to maintain the valve 9 in its upper position for positions 1 to V inclusive of the main controller. Upon connection of the contact 29 to the battery 58, a circuit is also established from the battery to the operating coil 57 of the valve 20 through contact 29 and a segment of the pawl controller drum, and the valve 20 is thereupon operated to disengage the pawl 15 from the star-wheel and permit rotation of the cam shaft 3 until the contact 29' has moved off the corresponding segment of the pawl controller drum when the coil 57 is deenergized and the pawl is forced into contact with the star-wheel to prevent fur= ther rotation of the cam shaft. Upon movement of the main controller successively to the other positions II to V the sequence of operation of controller 24 to its corresponding positions II to V is similar to that described in connection with position I. The energizing circuitfor the operating coil 55 of the valve 9 of the pneumatic engine is maintained established through the con tacts 26 and 27 of the main controller 25. The energizing circuit for the operating coil 57 of the auxiliary pneumatic engine is successively established and interrupted through the several pairs of cooperating contacts 30-30, 31-31, 3232', 33-33, respectively, in substantially the same manner as through the contacts 2929" described in connection with the operation of the controller to position I.

To operate the controller 24 in the reverse direction, trailing controller 23 is operated to move the segment 52 so as to interrupt the circuit between the contacts 50 and 49 and move the segment 53 so asto establish a circuit between the contacts 50 and 51. Thereupon movement of the main controller 25 in the reverse direction successively through the positions I to V results in energization of the operating winding 56 of the valve 10. In this way pressure is admitted to the cylinder 8 from the pressure line 13 to move the piston rod 1 in the reverse direction. In this case the pairs otcontacts 3333 to 2929 are successively utilized to control the encrgization and deenergization ofthe operating winding 57 of the auxiliary pawl controlling pneumatic engine in the reverse order but in the same manner as previously described. The reversing controller 22 is operated in the usual manner to control a reversing switchnot shown in the drawing and not es sential to the present invention. The cam shaft 3 may thus be moved to and positively stopped in any predetermined position merely by movement of the main controller to a corresponding position.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 15:-

1. A control system for a switch mechanism comprisinga reciprocating element, means for reciprocating the same between predetermined limits, and electrically, controlled means for stopping and locking said reciprocating member in any selected one of a plurality of definite intermediate-positions comprising a position-selective controller, a star-wheel operable in accordance with the movement of said member between said positions, a member operable into and out of locking engagement with said starwheel, and fluid pressure means having electroresponsive valve mechanism energized jointly in accordance with the positions of said selective controller and said reciprocatin member for releasin and maintaining said locking member re eased until after movement of the reciprocatin element to a selected one of said lntermedlate positions.

2. A control system for a switch mechanism comprising a reciprocating member, a fluid pressure engine for reciprocating said member each way between a plurality of positions, a fluid pressure operated means independent of said engine for stopping and locking the said reciprocating member in each of a plurality of said positions and having electroresponsive valve mechanism for controlling the operation thereof, a controller, and circuit-controlling means dependent upon the position of said reciprocating member and cooperating with said controller for selectively controlling the energization of the valve mechanism of said inependent pneumatic means to release said reciprocating member and automatically stop and lock the same after operation thereof between predetermined positions.

3. A control system for a switch mechanism comprising an electrically controlled reciprocating member, a fluid ressure engine provided with a pair of pistons each for reciprocating said member in a different direction between fixed limits, electrically controlled fluid pressure operated means independent of said pistons forstopping and locking said member in each of a plurality of intermediate positions, a controller selectively operable to any one of a plurality of positions correspondlng to said intermediate positions, a cooperating controller connected to be operated in accordance with the position of'said reciprocating member, and connections jointly controlled by said controllers for selectively controlling said independent pneumatic means to release said reciprocating member and automatically stop and lock the same upon operation thereof to a selected one of said intermediate positions determined by operation of said selectively operable controller.

4. A control system for a switch mechanism comprising a reciprocating member, a fluid pressure engine having electrically controlled valves for reciprocating said member a selective controller for controlling the energization of the valves of said first engine and for cooperating with said switch member to control the energization of the valve of said independent pneumaticengine to release said reciprocating member and automatically stop and lock the same upon operation thereof to any one of a plurality of positions selected by operation of said controller. v

5. A. control system for a switch mechanism comprising a reciprocating member, 0. fluid pressure engine provided-with a pair of pistons each for reciprocating said member in a. difl'erent direction between predetermined limits under the control of an electroresponsive' valve, a second fluid pressure engine provided with a piston operable'under the control of an electroresponsive valve to stop and lock-said 'reciprocatin member in each ofa plurality of intermediate positions, a controller for selectively energizing the electroresponsive valves of said first engine to operate the reciprocating member in each direction, a second controller cooperatlng therewith and having a plurality of operative positions corresponding to the intermediate positions of said reciprocating member, and a circuit controlling device arranged to be operated in accordance with the position of said reciprocating member and connected to cooperate with said selective controller upon operation thereof from one of its operative positions to another position to control the energization of the electroresponsive -valve of said second engine to effect the release of said reciprocating member and automatically stop and lock the same upon operation thereof to the sition corresponding to the operative posltion to which said second controller is operated.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 4th da of Ma 1923.

E IL FA KE. KURT LEHMANN. 

